Books have been written on the artist-gallery relationship, so I’ll spare you a lengthy treatise on the subject. It will suffice to say, that throughout history we’ve seen a broad spectrum of relationships between artists and their gallerists, dealers and agents including the violent (and even murderous), exploitative, stormy, dull, unproductive, idealistic, naive, antagonistic, arm’s length, passionate, all business, fluff, win-win, visionary, and extraordinary.
We’re aiming for extraordinary, of course, though visionary or even a win-win relationship would be good. We’ll be avoiding all the other adjectives, especially dull and exploitative. Like any relationship, it will take time and effort on both our parts and we’re under no illusions. It’s hard work!
So, where do we begin? Be open, be honest, listen!
A good starting point for us is to be open and honest with all our artists. We’re telling artists about our goals and motivations. We’re explaining our business models and our plans. We’re explaining our consignment, consignment with lease and wholesale strategies. Once we begin operations we’ll share our sales information and give our artists feedback from customers and non-customers.
More importantly, we’re listening as well. We’re asking artists about their goals and motivations; we’re asking if they want feedback, and what type and how often; we’re asking about their work, their techniques and their influences. It’s really all about open and frequent communication. We’re hoping these small steps will help us build respectful and trusting relationships with every artist with whom we work and propel us towards the extraordinary.
We share an interior designer, Bryan Wetz.
